Praying: Faithful Obedience

2 Kings 20:1-7

"Before Isaiah had let the middle court, the word of the LORD came to him: 'Go back and tell Hezekiah, the leader of my people, This is what the LORD, the God of your father David, says: 'I have heard your prayer and seen your tears; I will heal you. On the third day from now you will go up to the temple of the LORD. I will add fifteen years to your life. And I will deliver you and this city from the hand of the king of Assyria. I will defend this city for my sake and for the sake of my servant David.'' Then Isaiah said, 'Prepare a poultice of figs.' They did so and applied it to the boil, and he recovered." (v. 4-7)

Prayer is such a powerful tool that God has given to us. It is as simple as communications between our Father and us. And yet so powerful because it can lead to healing and salvation. Unfortunately, we often times misuse it or partially use it. How often do we find ourselves praying more often when there is a need of ours? Often times when we bless our food, do we speak to God or do we just recite a common prayer? Prayer is significant, and should be done at all times even in times of need. It is because it is our primary way of communicating with the Lord. However, one of the most forgotten part of this communication is that it is also for us to listen to the words the Lord has for us. Often times we treat prayer as if God was simply just a request box. We make a request, walk away, and then hope that God will deliver it to us.

Prayer is a two-way communication with the Lord. It is a conversation with the Lord where we listen and obey. We have a part in the prayer as well. Just as we hope that the Lord will deliver with our requests, we too must listen and follow His requests. It is true that Hezekiah was to be healed, but Isaiah continued to instruct the application of medicine. The same medicine, prior to Hezekiah's prayer, wouldn't have had any benefit and he would've died. Therefore, it wasn't the medicine that truly healed him, but his prayer. However, we are to be obedient and act on our faith. Let us therefore pray by not just speaking, but also listening to what God has to say to us and obey.